Yohji Yamamoto made it rain during his Saturday afternoon
show for Adidas Y-3. Guests were led to the door by staffers
carrying umbrellas.

There was a lot of buzz surrounding Yohji Yamamoto’s Adidas Y-3 fashion show underneath the High Line at 21st Street, an abandoned elevated rail line being repurposed as a public park, with the first segment set to open in 2008.

Yamamoto always promises a spectacle, and this time created rain with hoses that poured onto the street, while under the rail guests sat on aluminum bleachers surrounding the street runway, slick and puddly after also being hosed down. Guests who entered on the wrong side of the street were led to the line to get in by staffers carrying umbrellas.

So, it’s a hot day, the venue is outdoors, the line encompasses sportswear. How would you dress? I wore a Theory black tank top, Diesel skirt and trusty old rubber slippers. One Asian girl got it all wrong, dressing as if she was headed to a cocktail party in a pouffy dress, chandelier earrings, Chanel purse and mink-trimmed stilettos. I’m sure she really loved stepping into water puddles.

Stephen Gan arrives and was photographed upon the
arrival of his Visionaire co-editor Cecilia Dean.

Spotted Visionaire’s Stephen Gan in a white T-shirt and jeans and realized I had not spotted his cohort Cecilia Dean all week. She turned up 10 minutes later in a simple leopard-spotted shift and flats, definitely shorter in person than she appears in photographs. Celebs in the house included LL Cool J, who’s a really big guy, Samuel L. Jackson and Mena Suvari, who wore a white tank top and jeans. Her hair was buzz cut, no doubt for a movie role. She also had that Hollywood glowing skin that comes from pampering and no worries while handlers are paid to do your worrying for you. In this case, the stars hung out in trailers parked in back of the venue where they could rest and sip champagne, entering just 5 minutes before show time.

A model in her own dress walks through the
puddle-covered venue during rehearsals before the show.

They weren’t adequately spaced though. While all cameras followed LL Cool J, Jackson entered with zero fanfare. It’s funny how he seems like such a larger-than-life character on film; he looks like an unassuming man on the street without the camera’s glare.

A model, in red, crosses the wet asphalt while
guests sat on aluminum bleachers.

The show started with the sound of thunder, and when the hoses came on, those who did not see the rehearsal thought it had really started to rain. Clothes shown were fluid pieces, meant for active lifestyles but minimalist and chic enough for the street. The designer, who observed rehearsals with the anxiety and pride of a parent, seemed pleased, smiling serenely.